The Learners' Attitude and Perception Towards Accent In Language Learning

Abstract

This paper investigates how learners perceive their English accent and examines the learners’ perspective on instructors’ accent. The learners thought they have good pronunciation when they are understood.  The learners believe it is not necessary for instructors to speak using the native accent in physical and online class setting.  There is a moderate positive correlation between the learners’ attitude and perceptions towards their accent and the instructor’s accent in online class. This study was conducted by distributing an online questionnaire to diploma-level university students in Kedah, Penang, and Perak. Sociolinguistic theory, which explores students’ perceptions of their accent and those of their instructors, is intricately connected to sociolinguistic norms and attitudes toward linguistic prestige, identity, and social belonging. The Affective Filter Hypothesis demonstrates the value of addressing learners’ perceptions and promoting a more inclusive view of accent variants to cultivate favourable affective environment that supports language acquisition. Communication Accommodation Theory helps explain how learners and instructors adapt their speech to foster comprehension and social interaction. The application of sociolinguistic theory, the affective filter hypothesis, communication accommodation theory, and the findings in this study are beneficial for enhancing language teaching and learning in diverse educational settings.